Demand variability and incentives in inventory-based contracts

We present some results on the impact of demand variability on stocking policies and incentives to forecast, in the context of single period inventory-based contracts in a manufacturer-retailer channel.     

Inventory replenishment model: lot sizing versus just-in-time delivery

Motivated by a practical industrial problem where a manufacturer stipulates a minimum order from each buyer but where a local dealer promises the buyer a just-in-time delivery with a slightly higher unit cost, this paper uses a dynamic lot-sizing model with a stepwise cargo cost function and a minimum order amount constraint to help the buyer select the supplier with minimum total cost.     

Predictive control of periodic-review production inventory systems with deteriorating items

In this paper a predictive control strategy is applied to a periodic-review dynamic inventory system with deteriorating items. Given the current inventory level, we determine the optimal production rates to be implemented at the beginning of each of the following periods over the control horizon. The effectiveness of this approach is the use of future information of the inventory target level and the desired production rate, which are available, along the fixed horizon. The deterioration coefficient may be known or unknown and both cases are considered. In the case where it is unknown, the self-tuning predictive control is applied. The proposed control algorithms are illustrated by simulations.     

Coordinating inventory control and pricing strategies: The continuous review model

We analyze an infinite horizon, single product, continuous review model in which pricing and inventory decisions are made simultaneously and ordering cost includes a fixed cost. We show that there exists a stationary (s,S) inventory policy maximizing the expected discounted or expected average profit under general conditions.     

A two-echelon base-stock inventory model with Poisson demand and the sequential processing of orders at the upper echelon

We consider a two-echelon inventory system with a number of non-identical, independent ‘retailers’ at the lower echelon and a single ‘supplier’ at the upper echelon. Each retailer experiences Poisson demand and operates a base stock policy with backorders. The supplier manufactures to order and holds no stock. Orders are produced, in first-come first-served sequence, with a fixed production time. The supplier therefore functions as an M/D/1 queue. We are interested in the performance characteristics (average inventory, average backorder level) at each retailer. By finding the distribution of order lead time and hence the distribution of demand during order lead time, we find the steady state inventory and backorder levels based on the assumption that order lead times are independent of demand during order lead time at a retailer. We also propose two alternative approximation procedures based on assumed forms for the order lead time distribution. Finally we provide a derivation of the steady state inventory and backorder levels which will be exact as long as there is no transportation time on orders between the supplier and retailers. A numerical comparison is made between the exact and approximate measures. We conclude by recommending an approach which is intuitive and computationally straightforward.     

考虑通货膨胀与最长顾客等待时间的变质性物品的库存模型

本文建立了一种考虑通货膨胀与时间价值的变质性物品的库存模型,在模型中允许短缺发生且拖后的需求速率与在缺货期间已经发生的缺货量有关.和已有相关模型的主要区别在于本模型把一个可重复的订货周期内的最大平均利润的净现值作为目标函数,且增加了在缺货期间最长顾客等待时间的限制,以确保库存系统拥有较高的服务水平.然后讨论了模型最优解的存在性与唯一性,并提供了寻求模型整体最优解的算法.最后用实例说明了此模型在实际中的应用.     

Distributionally robust modeling of optimal control

The aim of this paper is to formulate several questions related to distributionally robust Stochastic Optimal Control modeling. As an example the distributionally robust counterpart of the classical inventory model is discussed in details. Finite and infinite horizon stationary settings are considered.     

The inventory models under conditional trade credit in a supply chain system

In several recent investigations dealing with the economic order quantity with permissible delay in payments, the following assumptions are made:     

Ship-pack optimization in a two-echelon distribution system

In large distribution systems, distribution centers (DC) deliver some merchandize to their retail stores in size-specific packages, also called ship-packs. These ship-packs include cases (e.g., cartons containing 24 or 48 units), inners (packages of 6 or 8 units) or eaches (individual units). For each Stock Keeping Unit (SKU), a retailer can decide which of these ship-pack options to use when replenishing its retail stores. Working with a major US retailer, we have developed a cost model that balances DC handling costs, store handling costs and inventory-related costs at both the DC and the stores, and therefore can help to determine the optimum warehouse ship-pack for each SKU. We implement our model for a sample of 529 SKUs, and show that by changing ship-pack size for about 30 SKUs, the retailer can reduce its total cost by 0.3% - 0.4%. Interestingly, we find that most of the cost savings occurs at the DC level.     

Separable programming/duality approach to solving the multi-product Newsboy/Gardener Problem with linear constraints

The Gardener Problem is an extension of the multi-product Newsboy Problem with constraints. It deals with situations where not only the demand is random but also the yield (the supply). Separable programming and duality approaches are utilized to solve the constrained Newsboy/Gardener Problem. The solution methodologies are developed for the common probability distribution functions for the demand, and uniform distribution for the supply, rendering exact and approximate solutions to the problem. Numerical examples are given and when applicable, the performance of the developed approach is compared to those of existing works in this arena. The results reveal that the developed solution methods efficiently converge to the optimal or near optimum solutions. Also, a salient feature of the proposed methodologies is that they can utilize readily available commercial software to solve the considered problems. This feature facilitates the portability of the developed models to the classroom environment.